RochdaleAFC.com bring you up to date with the team news for tomorrow's derby against the peasants from the less privileged side of Heywood.
If you haven’t already heard, Dale are taking on the Buckets tomorrow and it seems that they have quite a few defenders out for a derby game that, for once, actually includes a team with something left to play for.
Alan Knill’s bury will be missing defenders Dave Challinor (knee), Paul Morgan (thigh) and Andy Parrish (thigh) for tomorrow’s game.
Unfortunately, I don’t think it will mean we’ll get to anything like Chris Casper’s Football Manager back five formations from earlier on in the season, but atleast Knill has been able to welcome back Steve Haslam and Paul Scott to his defensive line recently.
The only other injury that bury have to worry about is the loss of midfielder Brian Barry-Murphy who also misses out with a thigh problem.
However, the injury list for us is looking much brighter, with Keith Hill welcoming Simon Ramsden (dead leg) back into the side.
Marcus Holness (thigh), who has been filling in for Ramsden at right back, is available too after being given the green light from physio Andy Thorpe to play.
Kallum Higginbotham (toe) is also available for selection tomorrow, with the manager being likely to keep everyone guessing as to whether Higginbotham will start on the wing or up front again.
More positive news for everyone at Rochdale is that James Spencer (hernia) has been making a quick recovery from his double hernia operation.
Spencer is due back in training soon, and is likely to be available in time for the playoffs, which comes as great news seeing as Tottenham Hotspur recently recalled David Button.
Due to the to the loss of Button, I’d expect Hill to name 5 outfield players on his bench tomorrow and Lee Thorpe (leg) aside, that’s pretty much it really.